


Can't you stay right here forever, pretty please?

by draconianApathy



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: AU, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Pen Pals, it's extremely adorable, just using her as a plot point actually but shh doesn't matter, watch sora and Riku develop crushes over letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27840379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draconianApathy/pseuds/draconianApathy
Summary: It all started some months prior, when Sora and Kairi wished to send a gift to one of their friends that had to move to the other side of the city: the only problem of theirs was the correctness of her new address they had noted down. They, obviously, ended up having their package delivered to the wrong person.
Relationships: Kairi & Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	Can't you stay right here forever, pretty please?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey hey first fic I've ever written for this fandom.  
> I actually wrote the majority of this in 2018 in my first language and just recently hyperfixated enough on the game to finally catch up with it so I decided to translate my own work and finally give it an ending!  
> If there's some weird wording it might be because of the language switch, just so you know.
> 
> As of additional trigger warnings, I can't think of anything right now but don't hesitate to tell me if I missed anything.  
> Thank you to everyone who'll choose to read, leave kudos, comments, bookmarks and subs! That said, enjoy!

« Sora? » called back, the young boy raised his eyes from the ground. The sole of his shoes brushed the apex of the grass blades swiftly moving along the marine breeze; he was sitting on a wooden box against the rock wall.

He looked right in front of himself, expecting to find the owner of the voice he just heard; his azure irises, though, were met only with the pale coloration of the sand further ahead.

He heard himself being called again: it was then that he turned way too quickly, finding the rock wall just a few centimeters away from his face. Frightened from the sudden vision, he lost his balance and fell on the ground, but when he opened his eyes again, around him there was the dark of his room contrasted by the dim light of early noon.

It was all a dream, a little useless dream with no powerful meaning in which Sora couldn’t remember how he had ended up there, until he heard the voice of his mother calling him yet another time.

He hopped onto his feet after clearing his doubt and he moved sleepily towards the bathroom, so to look presentable.

Five minutes were already enough to lament about his hair and laugh in desperation in front of the mirror. He then stared at his smile’s reflection and decided that, hey, it wasn’t actually that bad.

He paced towards the living room, finding nothing more than a note left by his mother. It read “I’m going out for some chores; I hope you’re not going to sleep ‘til evening like the other day!”. He smiled, guilty, then noticed another phrase at the bottom of the paper.

“P.S.: another letter for you arrived.”, his heart filled with joy at the news, he was so enthusiastic that he didn’t give much thought to the embarrassing winking emoticon used by the woman.

He went into the kitchen to retrieve the letter, impatient to know its content: he had been waiting a response that he was eager to know for a couple of days at that point.

It all started some months prior, when Sora and Kairi wished to send a gift to one of their friends that had to move to the other side of the city: the only problem of theirs was the correctness of her new address they had noted down. They, obviously, ended up having their package delivered to the wrong person.

The situation begun with a quick correspondence between Sora and the stranger, in which the first apologized for the inconvenience. This person, then, offered their help to find the actual address of their friend whom, oddly enough, happened to live on the other side of their street.

How did the correspondence carry on? Simple: Sora didn’t hate the idea of a new friend and, to both, the idea of a pen-pal resulted pretty intriguing. The boy came to know that his interlocutor’s name was Riku and, confirmed also by his now long-distance friend, Selphie, they were the same age. Could there have ever been such a coincidence?

At any rate, theirs soon became a special relationship for various reasons: it didn’t happen every day that you would make a long-distance friend solely because of a pure mistake, yet it was a friendship like any other, maybe even more articulated than other ones. Sometimes, they would confide in each other about topics they wouldn’t have the courage to talk about with anyone else.

It was certainly easier to take advantage of the ink rather than confront an argument to be easily ruined by your own emotionality.

Furthermore, their conversations varied on multiple themes, from serious things, to the most mindless talks, until the fantasizing of their possible first encounter. Actually, it was exactly for this last reason that Sora appeared so feverishly excited to read the letter that had just arrived; not that he hadn’t ever been happy when they had gotten delivered to him, but this one time there was a touch more of interest.

“Hey Sora,

This time, I will spare you the usual line about how embarrassing the beginning of a letter is and about how many times I wonder why we can’t just write down immediately what we want to say.

I gained some more information about that festival I mentioned before: it’s starting on Friday and it’s going to last a whole week, so it would be really nice if you, somehow, were to be able to come.”

He could almost feel all the hope his friend had, which warmed his heart, that in the meantime had been beating with glee: he would’ve almost certainly been able to finally meet him e spend a whole night together.

“To catch your interest far more, on the weekend they will turn off the city’s lights to admire the shooting stars better. Oh and, from what we heard, they’re going to sell a particular “sea-salt” ice cream type? We could try it, if you’d like.

Other than the fact that the entire city will be probably filled with tourists during these nights, I don’t know much more. I wasn’t used to participate to these events, my group and I would often go to calmer places on these occasions: it’s pretty relaxing to look at a festival town from above, I suggest you try it.

I’m waiting for your confirmation, anyway, so that we can agree upon a meeting point.

Love, Riku, back at it again with the embarrassing farewell.”

Sora couldn’t help but laugh at the way his friend signed himself, ma he couldn’t hide the feeling he felt for the rest of the letter: he proceeded immediately to exit from home and meet up with Kairi to deliver the news, as if it was the end of the world.

They were able to find a way to get to the city on that same Saturday and he hurried to respond so the letter could arrive just in time.

When he got home, he re-read Riku’s to realize whether or not that was actually happening, if it was all happening or if it had all been a dream like that morning: it was then that he noticed a line alienated from the others, on the back of the letter.

“P.S.: I looked towards the sky at the time you told me you would’ve seen the eclipse, like you asked me. It was nice, a little as if we were looking at it at the same time. For a moment, I believed you were there.”

He couldn’t explain it to himself, but Sora swore his heart skipped a beat. Was that a normal reaction? Was that pure complacency or was there more? He chose to keep those thoughts for another time, he had to focus now and to organize the outing.

The only issue was that he wouldn’t have been absolutely able to stop thinking about that phrase for the rest of the day.

Oh, did I say the “only issue”? Of course, there’s to rectify: the public transport towards the city made Sora and Kairi end up enormously late and, when they got to the festival in the pre-established spot, the only thing that welcomed them was an inconsiderate mass of people who tried to make way between the various panels.

If before the boy had been in anguish, he was now disappointed and unhappy.

He had spent the entire journey overthinking like anyone would before meeting someone, where Kairi had been a huge help to calm him down. She was now concerned for her friend’s mood which didn’t hint to get better at all: she didn’t like what she was seeing.

Jumping back on her feet, where they had been waiting in case Riku and their friend had chosen to come back and check « We’re here now, » she pronounced, standing in front of Sora so to force him to give her the maximum attention. «We could walk around and try to have fun either way? Just like old times, the day before going back to school. What do you say? » she offered him a smile and a hand to pull him up.

At that point, the boy accepted gladly and he couldn’t not smile back, thanking her for all the support she was giving him.

Only ten minutes had passed when Sora thought he had started to dream again.

« Sora? »

He heard the same voice of the other day’s dream. He rapidly turned around. This time, it wasn’t the pale colour of the sand to meet his eyes, but a face never seen before, but to which he could already give a name.

« Riku? » hearing his own name, the boy’s expression lit up, so much that he felt paralysed for some instances before he moved towards his friend.

« You’re … » Riku wasn’t able to find the right words as he inspected every centimeter of Sora’s appearance, whom in the meantime had been worried about his judgement. « … shorter than I imagined. » was the smartest thing he had been able to say.

Much anxiety about nothing. Sora stared at him a few seconds more than needed, only to burst out laughing right after, loosening the tension up.

« Wow. Thanks! »

Even Kairi and Selphie joined the laughter, noticing also the two’s embarrassment: the three old friends proceeded then to have their usual group hug.

After that, the two girls decided out of the blue to give the other two their privacy, taking a completely different direction and wishing them a wonderful time. In all truth, Sora and Riku did not know of the so-called “evil strategy” the girls had agreed upon before they had even talked about meeting.

« I’m so, so sorry for arriving so late- »

« No need to worry, we know the transportation here doesn’t exactly respect the established timetables. » Riku gifted him a little reassuring smile. « That’s why I had chosen, not seeing you here, to go get you something. But we got lost in the crowd and we had a hard time coming back. »

« Oh! There’s no problem, obviously. » Sora commented, before realizing his friend’s words. « Hold on, getting me something? »

« It’s nothing, don’t worry. »

« But, I have nothing for you- »

Riku silenced him, pointing at the time on a clock in the plaza a little further from them: it was almost the time of the meteor shower.

It was when he took his wrist, intimating him to follow him, that Sora felt himself die inside at the touch. Riku’s fingers almost brushed his hand. Was it normal to feel like that?

He posed himself the most important question as soon as they reached the apex of a little hill where multiple people had gotten for the event: they had lied on the grass and the only thing he could notice was Riku’s charm under the moonlight. Was it possible, the way he could take his breath away?

Sora tried to shake off those thoughts and enjoy the sky punctuated with the usual candid glimmers, waiting for the arrival of the shooting stars.

« Looks like we find each other looking at the sky together pretty often, don’t you think? » the other dared to say, with some irony in his tone, turning towards his friend.

Sora did the same, noticing how suddenly so close their faces were; he gifted him a smile. « At least now we’re together for real. »

Riku glanced at him, then nodded and went back to stare at the night sky. He talked again some minutes later, finding the courage he needed.

« About that. This is what I got you, I hope you know what it is. » he said so and showed him the Paopu fruit, very much known by Sora. He remembered the first time that he had talked about it to him, he was really interested in discovering whether the effect it gave was true.

Then Sora realized something: Riku was offering it to him, did that then mean he wanted to share it with him, or was it a gift? At the sole thought of the first option, he was grateful for the dark of the night covering up the deep redness that painted his cheeks.

Riku noticed his hesitation and he sat back up on the ground, Sora mimicked him.

« You can, uhm … do whatever you want with it. » he was quick to add, extending the gift to him.

The young boy then accepted, thanking him and pondering on what to do; then he made a decision, he picked up all the determination he had in his body and made two almost perfect halves of the fruit. He offered one of them to the other, looking in his eyes almost tenderly.

« One sky? » begun Sora.

The other showed the disbelief in himself for some seconds, then, sincerely grateful, he took with one hand his own piece.

« One destiny. » Riku concluded, his expression sweetened.

Their noses went upwards again, suddenly embarrassed from their own words. They stayed silent while they finished eating, still waiting for any shooting star to fall.

It was a relaxing atmosphere. They wished, in their minds, for it to stay like that forever.

When finally the first shooting star made its appearance, Sora was so enthusiastic that he yelled a « Look! » in surprise. He was pointing at a spot in the sky, while he didn’t realize he had placed the other hand on Riku’s, who instinctively turned to look at him. And, gosh, if he was beautiful with that smile, with those hair a little unkempt, and all that happiness and excitement he emanated, as though he had been waiting for that moment ever since he was a kid. He found it very tender.

At least five shooting stars had made their way in the sky before Sora noticed their joined hands. It had felt almost like the most natural thing to do. He rested his chin on his free palm and went back to look at the sky, tightening the grip.

“Staying like this forever” wouldn’t have been bad at all if it meant to feel that pleased.

« Hey, would you like to try that ice cream later? » asked Riku, breaking the silence for an instant, still contemplating the stars.

Sora nodded, slowly brushing his thumb on the other’s hand. « Gladly, I’d love to. »

He didn’t know exactly what they were waiting for, maybe another shooting star, maybe something more than just holding hands; they hadn’t even hugged, he recalled, oh how stupid of him! He would have done that, weren’t he so struck by seeing the boy he fancied so much after months.

For the first time, at his fingertips.

« Hey, Riku? »

« Mh? » the other turned and was met with Sora looking down at their hands, then meeting his eyes.

« I’m really happy I got to be with you. » Sora displayed another of his bright smiles, the contagious kind, the kind you would treasure forever.

The kind for which you can’t help but melt, reach out and kiss someone.

Because that’s exactly what Riku did; it was quick and natural, his hand still on Sora’s cheek, their noses almost touching again.

Both of their gazes were dreamy, everything feeling so surreal they believed it had all been in their heads from the start.

« I am, too. » Riku’s voice was barely above a whisper, still staring into the other’s eyes that looked so dark with no light to show their usual sparkle.

He got to his feet, pulling him up as well by their still joined hands. « Let’s go eat something, you wouldn’t want to waste an opportunity in trying the delicacies of this town, would you? »

« Oh, light up the way, fellow knight. » both of their chuckles twinkled in their hearts like the stars above them, looking down and protecting them.

They were joined back by their friends as they all made their way to the ice creamery, walking away from it with the specialty of the day; indeed that day had been special entirely by itself, so much that every instance of it had been engraved in all of their hearts.

Both Sora and Riku now knew that, even with worlds taking them apart, they would have always been connected.

Sharing the same sky and the same destiny.


End file.
